1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a fluid seal for an arthroscopic cannula to seal off a surgical worksite when elongated arthroscopic instruments are inserted through the cannula as well as when no instrument is present in the cannula.
2. Background of Related Art
Arthroscopic and other endoscopic surgical procedures facilitate minimally invasive surgical procedures in which elongated instruments inserted through small incisions in a patient's body are inserted into a body cavity. Arthroscopic procedures often require the use of pressurized fluid to distend and irrigate the body cavity. Therefore, seals have been devised for cannula used in these procedures to minimize the uncontrolled loss of irrigating fluid from the body cavity.
As instruments are inserted and manipulated in the seal, leakage of gases or fluids may occur. The known seals are deficient in numerous ways, including an inability to accommodate a wide range of instrument size and an inability to preserve the integrity of the seal during the procedure.